San Diego County, California
Best window·Wednesday 6AM–9AM·5ft·Fair
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at Birdrock, San Diego County, California. Each day is rated based on breaking wave height, swell period, and wind — updated hourly from the latest NOAA GFS run.
Tue, Jun 30: 3–4ft, 18s period, rated Poor - Fair. Get out early for the best of it — 2ft waves on SW swell at 12s and calm winds. Wind fills in through the day, pushing up to 9mph from the W and dropping conditions to poor - fair.
Wed, Jul 1: 3–5ft, 18s period, rated Fair. First light looks cleanest — 3-5ft on WSW swell at 8s with calm winds. Onshore flow builds through the day to 9mph, bringing conditions down to poor - fair.
Thu, Jul 2: 3–5ft, 18s period, rated Poor - Fair. Dawn patrol is the move — 3-4ft on SW swell at 16s with calm winds. The WNW wind kicks in by afternoon — 10mph and poor - fair by then.
Fri, Jul 3: 3–4ft, 18s period, rated Poor - Fair. First light looks cleanest — 3-4ft on W swell at 5s with barely a breath of wind. The W wind kicks in by afternoon — 10mph and poor - fair by then.
Sat, Jul 4: 3–5ft, 15s period, rated Poor - Fair. Pretty quiet out there — 2-3ft and mostly poor - fair with glassy conditions. Afternoon breeze fills in to 10mph.
Birdrock is a collection of reef breaks between Pacific Beach and Windansea in La Jolla that only start working at overhead-plus size, requiring a significant paddle to reach. South Bird Rock and North Bird Rock are the main breaks. North Bird can hold shape on the very largest swells — the bigger it gets, the further out it breaks. The kelp bed outside provides natural wind protection.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at Birdrock is 2ft with a 13.85s swell period. Wind is SSW at 4mph and conditions are rated Poor - Fair. The forecast updates hourly so you can plan your session around the cleanest windows.
The current breaking wave height at Birdrock is 2ft, produced by a 1.4ft W primary swell at 10s, a 1.3ft SSW secondary swell at 14s, a 0.8ft S tertiary swell at 10s. Breaking wave height is the actual rideable wave size at the shore — calculated from offshore swell data using this spot's coastal bathymetry — not the raw buoy reading.
Based on the current 5-day forecast, the best window to surf Birdrock is Wednesday from 6 AM to 9 AM with 5ft waves, a 16.9s swell period, and conditions rated Fair. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
Birdrock works best with a SW swell and NE winds. Offshore winds groom the face of the wave, while onshore winds turn it sloppy. Cross-offshore conditions usually produce the cleanest shape.
Tide plays a big role at Birdrock. Mid tide works for most beach breaks, while reef and point breaks often prefer higher or lower stages. Use the tide chart above to line up your session with the swell peak.
Birdrock is a reef with a rock bottom, suited to intermediate surfers. Birdrock is a collection of reef breaks between Pacific Beach and Windansea in La Jolla that only start working at overhead-plus size, requiring a significant paddle to reach. South Bird Rock and North Bird Rock are the main breaks. North Bird can hold shape on the very largest swells — the bigger it gets, the further out it breaks. The kelp bed outside provides natural wind protection.
The prime season at Birdrock is winter, when swell direction, wind patterns, and water temps line up most consistently. Outside the peak season you can still score, but you'll need to watch the forecast closely for the right windows.
Common hazards at Birdrock include flat rock reef with urchins, long paddle out, needs overhead+ swell, some localism. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our Birdrock forecast uses NOAA GFS and other weather models combined with spot-specific bathymetry to calculate breaking wave heights. Short-range (1-3 day) forecasts are most reliable. Extended forecasts show general trends. Visit /public/accuracy for per-spot and regional performance metrics.
